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In an evolutionary era of medical education, “Artificial intelligence” (AI) is applied to replicate human intellect, encompassing abilities, logical reasoning and effective problem-solving skills. Previous research has explored the attitude of medical and dental students, toward the assimilation of AI in medicine; however, a significant gap exists in appraising the understanding and concerns of pharmacy students. Therefore, the current study was designed to explore undergraduate pharmacy students’ perceptions of integrating AI into education and practice. Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year pharmacy students from different public and private sector universities in Karachi. The sample size on 60% anticipated response rate and 99% CI was calculated to be 390. Data was collected after acquiring ethical approval using convenient sampling. Frequency and percentage of the socio-demographic features were analyzed and then goodness of fit and Pearson’s chi-squared test of correlation was applied. Results were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results : The overall response rate of the study was 67%. More than 80% of the respondents were female. The students 35% (n = 202) strongly agreed and 59% (n = 334) agreed that AI plays an important role in healthcare, (χ2 = 505.6, p < 0.001). Around 79% (n = 453, χ2 = 384.3, p < 0.001) of students agreed on the replacement of patient care specialties with AI in the future, whereas 495 students (87%, χ2 = 682.3, p < 0.001) stated that they possess a strong comprehension of the fundamental principles governing the operation of AI. More than 80% of the students were comfortable in using AI terminologies (n = 475, χ2 = 598, p < 0.001) and 93% (n = 529, χ2 = 290, p < 0.001) were sure that AI inclusion in pharmacy education will develop a positive influence into the pharmacy curriculum (95%, n = 549, χ2 = 566.9, p < 0.001). A high and positive correlation was observed between the perception and willingness of students to adopt the AI changes in teaching undergraduate students (ρ = 0.491, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the outcomes showed students at private-sector universities stood out in computer literacy compared to public-sector universities (χ2 = 6.546, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current outcomes revealed the higher willingness of pharmacy students towards AI-infused learning. They understood the prerequisite of having both formal and informal learning experiences on the clinical application, technological constraints, and ethical considerations of the AI tools to be successful in this endeavor. The policymakers must take action to ensure that future pharmacists have a strong foundation of AI literacy and take initiatives to foster the interests and abilities of imminent pharmacists who will spearhead innovation in the field.

The study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the prescribers' approach of interaction with medical representatives for drug promotion. An explanatory, cross-sectional design was used to evaluate prescribers' interactions with the medical sales representatives (MSRs) through an anonymous, self-filled questionnaire from June to December 2017. Data presented as means±SEM or as percentages and statistically analyzed by one way ANOVA, using significance level of 0.05. : A response rate of 82.8% was achieved. More than 70% agreed that knowledge obtained from MSRs is reliable and useful. A large proportion of respondents acknowledged that MSRs are a key link between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals, and their interactions are beneficial as MSRs perform an important teaching function. More than 45% agreed that gifts are influential; however, physicians cannot be compromised with very expensive gifts. The majority of the respondents (76%) considered that promotional items are ethically appropriate; however, 66.21% thought that promotional items influence the practice of prescribing. More than half (52.18%) deemed a promotional material more reliable than a printed advertisement. More than 80% of the respondents opined that medication samples are considered appropriate; however, they should only be given to those patients who cannot financially afford them. Around 69% thought that company-sponsored meetings promote their own drugs under the disguise of CME programs. The present study emphasizes the importance of employing scientifically sound prescribing decision by prescribers in their day to day practice without being influenced by pharmaceutical company's promotional activities. There is a need for restricting unprincipled practices by the concerned regulatory authorities to evade preventable harm to the patient's well-being.

According to NCCMERP highest number of the prescriptions (n=193, 64.33%) were fall in category D, followed by category C and I. Out of 300 prescriptions, majority of thedrug-druginteractions (88.33%) were moderate, (56%) minor andmajor drug-drug interactions were present in (11%) prescriptions. According to researchphysicians, consultant, pharmaceutical companies and health professionals are relatively answerable for the irrational prescribing patterns (Fretheim, 2003).Due to frequent use of drugs possibility of human errors increase the frequency and risk of adverse events. According to NCCMERP Index medication errors were categorized (NCCMERP, 2001). The most commonly interacting drug pairs were Acetyl salicylic acid-Clopidogrel 168(56%) followed by Acetyl salicylic acid-Captopril 68(22.66%) and Acetyl salicylic acid-Nitroglycerine 38(12.66) presented in Table 2.This study indicates the serious deficient of prescription writing skills among the doctors and their outcomes are responsible to promote the irrational use of drugs, prescribing errors and high chances of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) due to polypharmacy and low patient compliance.

Background Climate change has emerged as a major global threat, exerting significant impacts on public health and healthcare systems. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacy students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding climate change and its impacts on health. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate pharmacy students across various public and private sector universities in Karachi, Pakistan. A content-reviewed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, awareness, perceptions, and responses of students related to climate change. Results The study revealed that 98.2% ( n  = 1211/1233) of the respondents were aware of the consequences of climate change, and most of themperceived it as a serious threat to public health. Approximately 43.1% of respondents reported taking steps to mitigate the impacts of climate change, even though 95% agreed that action must be taken to prevent it. Statistical analysis indicated that gender, university affiliation, and sources of information significantly influenced students’ opinions and understanding of climate-related issues. Conclusions The findings suggest that although pharmacy students possess theoretical awareness of climate change, they are not actively engaged in mitigation efforts. Integrating climate change education—emphasizing sustainable healthcare practices and the pharmacist’s role in addressing environmental challenges—into pharmacy curricula could help bridge this gap. Strengthening climate resilience through well-informed pharmacy professionals can make a substantial contribution to public health and sustainability initiatives.

Trend of drug prescribing and prescribing errors including adverse drug-drug interaction in prescriptions at in-patient pediatric departments of two government hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan was evaluated in a prospective observational study from 1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018 using the World Health Organization core indicators. Drug prescriptions contained 4 ± 2 (mean ± SD) drugs per prescription, with ceftriaxone and paracetamol being the most common. Prescriptions of more than five drugs were 5 times more prone to have drug-drug interactions compared to those of fewer drugs. Children were prescribed a higher number of drugs than the WHO recommended 1.6-1.8 drugs per prescription. Brand name drugs were the choice of the majority of pediatricians. There was a noticeable absence of the latest national essential list of medicines at pediatric wards. Further nationwide studies should be conducted to ascertain the complete status of pediatric prescriptions in Pakistan so that improvements to the system can be recommended.

Objectives: The study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the prescribers' approach of interaction with medical representatives for drug promotion. Methods: An explanatory, cross-sectional design was used to evaluate prescribers' interactions with the medical sales representatives (MSRs) through an anonymous, self-filled questionnaire from June to December 2017. Data presented as means[+ or -]SEM or as percentages and statistically analyzed by one way ANOVA, using significance level of 0.05. Results: A response rate of 82.8% was achieved. More than 70% agreed that knowledge obtained from MSRs is reliable and useful. A large proportion of respondents acknowledged that MSRs are a key link between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals, and their interactions are beneficial as MSRs perform an important teaching function. More than 45% agreed that gifts are influential; however, physicians cannot be compromised with very expensive gifts. The majority of the respondents (76%) considered that promotional items are ethically appropriate; however, 66.21% thought that promotional items influence the practice of prescribing. More than half (52.18%) deemed a promotional material more reliable than a printed advertisement. More than 80% of the respondents opined that medication samples are considered appropriate; however, they should only be given to those patients who cannot financially afford them. Around 69% thought that company-sponsored meetings promote their own drugs under the disguise of CME programs. Conclusion: The present study emphasizes the importance of employing scientifically sound prescribing decision by prescribers in their day to day practice without being influenced by pharmaceutical company's promotional activities. There is a need for restricting unprincipled practices by the concerned regulatory authorities to evade preventable harm to the patient' s well-being. Keywords: Medical sales representatives, physicians, pharmaceutical industry, CME

This study investigated the morphometric characteristics of adenohypophyseal thyrotrophs and circulating thyroid hormone profiles in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in relation to age and lactation status. Clinically healthy Brela breed camels were divided into lactating female, and non-lactating female groups across two age categories (5–10 years and ≥11 years), with fifty animals per group. Blood samples were collected before slaughter and pituitary glands were collected post-slaughter and processed for immunohistochemical detection of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) using anti-porcine TSHβ antibody, while morphometric measurements of thyrotrophs were conducted through image analysis. Plasma concentrations of TSH, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) were quantified using validated ELISA and enzyme immunoassay kits. Group differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc comparisons, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Morphometric analysis revealed that lactating female camels exhibited significantly higher thyrotroph counts compared with non-lactating counterparts, whereas non-lactating females displayed larger cell and nuclear dimensions. Age influenced these patterns, with older camels showing hypertrophied thyrotrophs but reduced functional plasticity compared to younger animals. Plasma hormone assays demonstrated that non-lactating camels had higher TSH and T4 concentrations, while lactating camels maintained elevated T3 levels, suggesting enhanced peripheral conversion of T4 to T3 during milk production. Additionally, younger camels exhibited higher T3 concentrations than older animals, indicating age-related decline in thyroidal activity. These findings highlight the dynamic regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis in camels, demonstrating how lactation and age shape thyroidal morphology and function to meet diverse physiological demands. These findings not only broaden the comparative endocrinology of underexplored species but also provide physiopathological insights relevant to farm animal management, lactation efficiency, and adaptive metabolism in harsh environments.